Kansas House Bill HB2750

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/26
• Refer: 2/6/26

Caption

Increasing the criminal penalties for second or subsequent convictions of the crime of violation of a protective order.

Summary

HB 2750 would amend Kansas law governing the crime of violating a protective order by increasing the penalty for repeat offenders. Under current law, knowingly violating a qualifying protective order is generally a Class A person misdemeanor, but the bill would make a second or subsequent conviction a severity level 7 person felony. For certain extended protective orders, the bill would keep the first offense as a severity level 6 person felony and raise a second or subsequent conviction to a severity level 4 person felony. The bill applies to a broad range of protective and restraining orders, including protection from abuse orders, stalking orders, sexual assault orders, human trafficking orders, and certain no-contact orders issued in criminal cases or as conditions of release. It also clarifies that attorneys, or people acting on their behalf, may contact a protected party for legitimate purposes within the scope of a civil or criminal proceeding, so long as they identify themselves. The bill would amend and replace K.S.A. 21-5924 and take effect upon publication in the statute book.

Impact

HB 2750 would directly change Kansas criminal law by increasing the punishment for repeat violations of protective orders and by elevating some repeat offenses from misdemeanor treatment to felony treatment. It would affect defendants subject to domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, and criminal-case no-contact orders, as well as courts, prosecutors, and defense counsel handling these cases. The bill also preserves an express exception for legitimate attorney contact, which limits the reach of the protective-order offense in litigation settings.

Sentiment

Based on the bill caption and text, the measure appears to be framed as a public-safety and victim-protection bill, with a clear focus on stronger penalties for repeat conduct. No committee transcript or recorded vote information was provided, so there is no documented debate or roll-call evidence in the materials supplied. The available context suggests a straightforward punitive policy change rather than a controversial restructuring of the underlying protective-order system.

Contention

The main policy issue is the severity of the penalty increase for second or subsequent violations, especially the move to felony-level punishment for repeat offenses and the higher felony level for repeat violations of extended protective orders. Supporters would likely view the bill as strengthening deterrence and protecting victims of abuse, stalking, sexual assault, and trafficking. Potential concerns could come from criminal justice or defense stakeholders about proportionality, the consequences of felony convictions, and whether repeat violations should be treated more harshly than the current misdemeanor framework. The attorney-contact carveout is a secondary point of clarification that helps avoid unintended interference with legal representation.